6 Pratikraman
from projecting ( doing bhaav ). If one is on a bridge he will say , ‘ Why did they construct this bridge so high ?’ He will question that . Hey ! What concern is it of yours ? Are you married to the bridge ? The moment he embarks upon the bridge , he starts this foolishness . The bridge is meant for getting across . There is no other concern with it and yet what does he do ? ‘ Why did they have to build this bridge so high ?’ Do people say such things or not ?
Seeker : Yes , they do , and in just five minutes , five thousand phases arise .
Dadashri : You say five thousand , but five minutes means three hundred seconds . Then there are endless samaya ( the smallest indivisible time unit ) in that second . Therefore , so many phases can arise in a second . This is how one continues to do endless atikraman .
The worldly life has arisen by atikraman and is destroyed by pratikraman .
The Real Meaning of Pratikraman
Questioner : If something unpleasant is occurring , and if I tolerate it , is that what you call pratikraman ? ( 6 )
Dadashri : No , you should not ‘ tolerate ’ but you should do pratikraman .
Questioner : So what is pratikraman ?
Dadashri : If a person insults you , you should understand who the real culprit is behind the insult . Is it the one who insults or is it the one who feels insulted ? This should be determined first . You should understand that the person who insults you is not at fault , not even to the slightest degree . He is merely a nimit ( someone instrumental in the process ) and it is due to the unfolding of your very own karma that the two of you are brought together . The fault is your own and you should do pratikraman if any